A large number of children presented with facial injuries during the study period. Facial lacerations, oral trauma and dental trauma were the most common injuries. The majority of patients were dealt with without admission or referral to another speciality.

Upper labial frenal tear in infants is classically taught as having associations with non-accidental injury. Collection of data for a 12-month period in our paediatric facial injury study revealed that this injury pattern is common in ambulant children and was associated with other facial trauma. In assessing the possibility of this injury being due to abuse, the importance of the mobility of the child and the mechanism of the injury are paramount.

No abstract